Meta’s WhatsApp just rolled out a fortress-like shield for users more likely to get hacked. This ‘Strict Account Settings’ is a lockdown mode that cranks up the privacy to maximum for public figures like journalists, activists, and celebrities. Announced on Tuesday, 26 January, 2026, by Meta, it auto-blocks shady messages from strangers without any extra steps or hassle.
How To Turn It On?
Turn it on via Settings>Privacy>Advanced, and your WhatsApp account switches to ultra-secure mode. Unknown callers get silenced, attachments and media from non-contacts get bounced, and other feature changes lock down functionality.
Meta explained that,
This lockdown-style feature bolsters your security on WhatsApp even further with just a few taps by locking your account to the most restrictive settings like automatically blocking attachments and media from unknown senders, silencing calls from people you don’t know, and restricting other settings that may limit how the app works.
Rolling out globally in weeks, it’s opt-in and toggleable, perfect for high-risk targets without affecting everyday use.
This ultra-secure mode is WhatsApp’s answer to Pegasus-like hackers from the NSO group, who hit via missed calls. This mode uses default end-to-end encryption layers and backend Rust code fortifying media against spyware. Meta added,
Strict Account Settings is one of the many ways we’re working to protect you from the most sophisticated cyber threats. We’ve also rolled out a programming language called Rust behind the scenes to help keep your photos, videos, and messages safe from things like spyware, so you can share and chat with confidence.
This WhatsApp feature echoes Apple’s Lockdown mode and Android’s Advanced Protection, prioritizing safety over anything else.
Why This Sudden New Feature From Meta?
Cyberattacks on reporters, activists, and other people of interest have spiked in recent years. In 2021, WhatsApp sued NSO over 1400 exploits. This new feature increases defenses for the vulnerable, trading convenience for ultimate security. According to TechCrunch, it is a “stricter security setting to protect users from cyber attacks.”
By launching this feature, WhatsApp is now part of the growing global tech firms that are giving users the option for a stronger protection against sophisticated cyberattacks in exchange for a much more restricted user experience. If you want to learn in-depth how to turn on the advanced security features on your WhatsApp account, you can use this guideline from Meta.
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